Big Fish Analysis

Will receives news that Edward is very ill with cancer, and that he might not have long to live. Will and his pregnant wife Josephine travel to Ashton, Alabama, Will's hometown. They have a reunion with Sandra K. Bloom, Edward's wife and Will's mother, who is bringing Edward home from the hospital to take care of him until he dies. Edward is weak and bedridden, but he and Will finally speak again. Soggy bottom, Ping and Jing all arrive. However, each one of them is slightly less fantastical than they're described in Edward's stories. For example, Amos Calloway is not a werewolf, but only a short and long-haired man; Karl is not a 12-foot giant, but still very tall at around seven feet; Ping and Jing are not conjoined twins, just identical.

It finally becomes clear that Edward had combined his love of storytelling with his own reality, which finally makes sense to Will. When his own son is born, Will passes the stories on to him, remarking that his father became his stories -- allowing him to live forever. He is also familiar enough with Edward to know that he will be happier with the illusion than the truth anyway. He is not irresponsible, though, and is truthful about his condition to Will and Sandra. The Witch is a source of reassurance to Edward; when he looked into her glass eye, he was able to foresee the manner of his own death. This makes him braver and more of a risk-taker since he already knows that he will not be dying in warfare or in other accidental fashions.